"We have perhaps in Pittsburgh the best team of cyber experts at the FBI anywhere in the country," said David Hickton, U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania, who has long called Pittsburgh "ground zero for cyber threats."

Westinghouse, U.S. Steel, Alcoa and ATI are named as victims. Prosecutors say the nuclear, metals and solar products industries were targeted by Chinese army officials who allegedly stole sensitive information.

Hickton and Pittsburgh FBI officials are saying that's part of why they are first to court with indictments against Chinese military hackers attacking Pittsburgh-based corporations like Westinghouse, U.S. Steel, ALCOA, Allegheny Technologies Inc. and the United Steelworkers Union.

"The United States government and the FBI cannot stand by and allow these thefts to continue. These thefts directly reflect on the economy of western Pennsylvania," said Scott Smith, FBI Special Agent in Charge, at the bureau's Pittsburgh office.

"Average ordinary citizens, our friends and neighbors, lose their jobs. And this case is as much about that as it is about the victimization of these companies," said Hickton.

Pittsburgh-based federal authorities are actively reaching out to area corporations as part of their vigilance against cyber crimes. It's part of the job, they say, in combating 21st century crime.

Smith praised "the diligence of the FBI employees who work tirelessly to combat this threat."

"This is one case of many, and this threat is upon us. It's ever present. It's not just in Pittsburgh. And meeting this threat is a top priority of the Department of Justice, of which we are a part," Hickton said.

Federal authorities are doing outreach to area companies to help them harden defenses.

"The good news is that these resources exist, and they exist here in Pittsburgh in the fine people here at the FBI," said Hickton.

The basics of computer security can be key -- things like being on guard against fake emails and suspicious attachments.

"(They are) intended to trick recipients of those emails to click a link. And once the link is clicked, the victim network is now compromised," said Jimmy Kitchen, assistant U.S. attorney.

"As an employee of a company, if you get an email that looks like it's from your boss, you're more than likely going to open it, and that's where the malware will get downloaded," said Keith Mularski of the FBI's Pittsburgh Cyber Squad.

In the case of U.S. Steel, it was fake emails to employees made to look like they came from executives that helped hackers get in.

"From that point on, the conspirators are essentially given a foothold within the company to move within the network and find whatever information it is that they want," said Kitchen.

Federal authorities want to hear from you're if you're suspicious that your company has been hacked.

"If an individual or a company is out there and has questions or concerns about this, we're interested. Because a threat against one individual may tell us (of) a threat stream that could affect others," Hickton said.

SACREDNESS OF MARRIAGE. THE DECISION RENDERED TODAY IS ANOTHER STEP DOWN THAT ROAD. FIVE CHINESE MILITARY OFFICIALS ACCUSED OF HACKING INTO U.S. COMPANIES TO STEAL VITAL TRADE SECRETS. Reporter: WE'RE LEARNING THE ATTACKS ARE NOT UNIQUE BUT THEY DO STAND OUT. WE HAVE PERHAPS IN PITTSBURGH THE BEST TEAM OF CYBER EXPERTS AT THE FBI ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. Reporter: U.S. ATTORNEY FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA DAVID HICKTON AND THE PITTSBURGH FBI ARE SAYING THAT'S PART OF WHY THEY ARE FIRST TO COURT WITH INDICTMENTS AGAINST CHINESE MILITARY HACKERS ATTACKING PITTSBURGH BASED CORPORATIONS LIKE WESTINGHOUSE, U.S. STEEL, ALCOA, ALLEGHENY TECHNOLOGIES AND THE UNITED STEAL WORKERS UNION. THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND THE FBI CANNOT STAND BY AND ALLOW THESE THEFTS TO CONTINUE. THEY DIRECTLY REFLECT UPON THE ECONOMY OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. AVERAGE, ORDINARY CITIZENS, OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS LOSE THEIR JOBS. THIS CASE IS AS MUCH ABOUT THAT AS IT IS ABOUT THE VICTIMIZATION OF THESE COMPANIES. Reporter: PITTSBURGH BASED FEDERAL AUTHORITIES ARE ACTIVELY REACHING OUT TO AREA CORPORATIONS AS PART OF THEIR VIGILENCE AGAINST CYBER CRIMES. WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY TO COMBAT THIS THREAT. THIS THREAT IS UPON US. IT'S EVER PRESENT. IT'S NOT JUST IN PITTSBURGH AND